


Selkie

by Akiko_Natsuko



Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: Alternate Universe, Choices, F/M, Family, Marriage, Mythical Beings & Creatures, Promises, Selkies
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-16
Updated: 2018-10-16
Packaged: 2019-08-03 02:26:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,643
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16317383
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Akiko_Natsuko/pseuds/Akiko_Natsuko
Summary: All Fiorean fishermen know the myths about the Selkies...half-seal, half-human...but that was all they were myths, until Lyon Vastia catches a rare glimpse of those shy people...and falls in love with a beautiful, blue-eyed Selkie. Based on the tale of 'the selkie and the fisherman'.





	Selkie

   The coast in the western part of Fiore was known for its wildness, much of the coast was lined with high cliffs, and the seas were fierce, rough waves that could and regularly did smash unwary sailors and fishermen against those cliffs. Civilization there was remote and well spread out, small clusters of cottages where the cliffs gave way to sandy beaches and the odd cot here and there where particularly hardy individuals fought to carve a livelihood from fishing and what little could be grown on the cliff tops. One of those fishermen was Lyon Vastia who had lived on the coast since he was a small boy, initially sharing the cot with his adoptive brother Gray before the younger man had gone inland in search of a better life. That had been three years ago and he hadn’t heard anything from him since and had long since abandoned any hope of Gray coming home.

   Life had always been difficult, but with Gray gone, it had seemed harder. A never-ending fight to get enough food to survive. He spent every hour of the day out on the sea in his ancient fishing boat, the small vessel barely holding together after long years of hard work, and all he had to show for those efforts were a few fish. Each smaller by the day, the resources of the area slowly decreasing over the years and not helped by the increased traffic of larger vessels further out from shore, but it was the only life he knew, and he was reluctant to turn away from that.

**

   It was the end of another disappointing day at sea, and there was a numbing, bone-deep weariness creeping over him as Lyon rowed back to shore. His catch a mere three fish despite the hours he had spent fishing, and for once he felt utterly defeated as he beached his boat, dragging it a safe distance up the sand to stop the rough waves to drag it out during the night. Biting back a yawn he gathered up his catch, slipping the fish into the oilskin bag at his waist before heading along the beach towards the cottage. Trying in vain to find his usual enjoyment in the sound of the sea washing against the sand, singing seagulls and the sight of the sun slowly setting and casting a beautiful light across the waters stretching out to his left.

   It took him a few minutes to realise that another sound had seeped into the air, and he came to a halt, eyes widening as he heard beautiful voices rising above the sound of the waves. It was a sweet sound, lyrical in a way that no other song he had ever heard before was and he found himself halting, letting the song wrap around him, a smile creeping across his lips.

_It’s beautiful…_

   Slowly he turned towards the sound, and he found his mouth dropping open in shock as he found himself staring a sight that very few had ever seen. A sight that until that moment he had always thought was nothing more than a myth told to entertain children.

“Selkies…” He whispered, not quite sure whether to believe his eyes, although a sharp pinch to his arm confirmed that he was awake and he swiftly turned his attention back to them. There was a dozen or so of them playing in the shallows, a mix of men, women and a couple of children, all of them laughing and playing and singing. They were beautiful to behold, wild and otherworldly and yet beautiful in their wildness. Oh, how he longed to get closer, but he was terrified of scaring them away, well aware that if he did he might never see them again. Few ever got to see the seal folk onshore without their skins, and he desperately wanted to imprint the sight on his memory.

   Eventually, though they spotted him, their song cutting off abruptly as they whispered amongst themselves for a second before they quickly turned and dived into the sea, slipping away under the rough waves, disappearing without a trace and leaving behind nothing more than an unbelievable memory.

“I must have been dreaming,” he said eventually, shaking his head as he slowly turned away, feeling as though if he did, the memory would fade altogether. Still, the sky was darkening above him, and he needed to go out to see again in the morning, and so with a sigh, he forced himself to resume the path towards his cottage, that wild, beautiful song still echoing in his heart. However, something was nagging at the edge of his thoughts, and he found himself turning back after just a couple of steps, and this time he noticed something sleek and shiny lying on one of the rocks near to where the Selkies had been playing. Unable to contain his curiosity he wandered closer, and as he got closer, he realised that it was a sealskin and excitement curled in the pit of his stomach.

   He had thought that it was going to be a memory that he would need to keep to himself, after all, who would believe him without proof? Besides, spouting wild tales in these parts tended to get you labelled as mad, and that was something he wanted to avoid…and yet now he had proof, and his hands trembled slightly as he reached out and scooped it up, studying it for a moment before slinging it over his shoulder with a pleased smile. Now he could prove what he had seen and then hopefully he would be able to sell it, sealskin always brought a reasonable price, and he would be able to stock up on supplies that he had been forced to go without for ages. There was a new bounce to his step as he turned once more and headed back towards his cottage, beginning to whistle a rough version of the song they had been singing.

   He had just reached the top of the beach when he became aware of footsteps following closely behind him, and fearing a thief he clutched the skin tighter, his other hand slipping down to the knife he kept sheathed at his waist as he turned around. His breath caught in his throat because this was no thief or at least no thief that he had ever seen. Instead, he found himself staring wide-eyed at a beautiful young woman, and he found himself gaping at her, his eyes trailing across her delicate features, taking in the deep blue eyes that matched the long, silky hair that snaked down her back and he found himself utterly at a loss for words. He had thought that the Selkies song was exquisite, but it paled in comparison to the girl in front of him, and it took him a long moment to realise that she was weeping, tears trickling down her cheeks in a silent stream and his heart ached at the sight.

“Why are you crying?” He asked softly, taking a cautious step towards her, unable to just stand there and leave her like that. For a moment there was no sign she had heard him, but then she slowly focused on him sniffling as she scrubbed at her cheeks, and when she spoke it was clear that she was still choking back tears.

“Please…that sealskin your carrying belongs to me,” her voice was soft, the sound of water trickling and Lyon was utterly mesmerised by the sound. _So beautiful…_ He thought, well aware that he wasn’t just talking about her voice, and it took him a moment to realise that she had continued. “Please give it back to me. I belong with the Selkies, and I can’t live in the sea without it.”

   He just couldn’t stop staring. He had heard tales of people falling in love with someone at first sight, but he had thought that to be just as much a myth as the Selkies were, and yet now as he gazed at the woman he knew that was precisely what had happened to him _. I love her_ …He had never experienced anything like this before, and all he knew in that instance was that he must keep her with him, and he clutched the sealskin against his chest, pressing it against his pounding heart.

“Please…” Lyon said softly, taking another step towards her. “Become my wife…I have never seen someone as beautiful as you, nor loved anyone more, so please stay with me?” His hands tightened around the sealskin as she shook her head, struggling not to let the swift rejection break him. “Please? You cannot go back without this, and that means you’ll have to live on land. I can keep you safe here, I can make you happy and give you a proper life.”

“I can’t,” she whispered, fresh tears trickling down her cheeks as she stared at the sealskin with longing in her eyes, her hand rising as though she could just snatch it away. “Please, I must go home. My family must be worried about me, and I’m sorry, but I could never be happy on land, my heart belongs to the water…to the sea.”

   Lyon could feel her words tugging at his heart, but he was stubborn, and the thought of letting her slip through his fingers left him feeling cold. _I can’t let her go_ …He smiled at her, conjuring the sweetest, most innocent smile that he could as he went down on one knee, and bowed his head towards her.

“Please. I would give you a home with me, in a warm cottage close to the sea, and I can feed you all the fresh fish you would ever wish to eat. I can give you a happy life on land if only you would be my wife.”

   Blue eyes filled with fresh tears, her gaze darting between the sea, her sealskin and Lyon and he could tell that she was beginning to waver.

“Please, at least give it a go,” he pleaded, and she turned back to him, a helpless expression passing over her face before she bowed her head in defeat.

“I fear that I have no choice.”

“Thank you…Thank you,” Lyon chanted as he rose to his feet and moved to her, making sure that he still had a tight hold of the sealskin as he held out a hand towards her. “May I ask your name?”

“Juvia…”

“Juvia,” he whispered, sounding like a man enchanted. _Juvia Vastia_. It sounded perfect in his mind, and he dipped his head so that he could press a kiss to the back of her hand. “I am Lyon Vastia…” There was no echoing smile on her face, but she didn’t protest as he gently began to pull her up off the beach and towards the path that led towards his cottage, and he felt compelled to speak again. “I promise; I will make you the happiest woman in the world.”

****

   For the first few weeks that Juvia lived with him, Lyon kept the sealskin on himself at all times, fearful that she might try and steal it back and slip away. He wasn’t blind to the way she would sit either at the window or at the top of the beach and gaze longingly at the sea, or to the fact that things had clearly been shifted in the house when he had been away, giving away her attempts to search for the skin _. I can’t let her find it_ , he would think, unable to bear the thought of her disappearing back out to sea. It had only been weeks, but already the cottage felt warmer and more like home than it had for years, and he knew that it was because of her. Her beauty, and the soft smile that slowly began to appear as he worked as hard as he could to win her round, lighting it up in a way he never could alone.

   In the end, he had never told anyone about the Selkies, fearful that they would make the connection between that sighting and his beautiful wife-to-be, especially as her beauty had already caused ripples in the area.

   Gradually though they began to slip into a comfortable pattern, and he found her staring out to sea less often, and the signs of searches slowly faded away. On the day that he came home to see her sitting mending a dress and singing softly with a small smile on her face, he realised that she was finally happy with the life she had now. And that evening when she was fast asleep he had taken the sealskin out of his clothes and hidden it carefully in a crevice in the chimney. He was sure that she would never find it there, and it felt better to be able to leave it in the house.

    They married later that month, and Juvia had been utterly radiant, and it was a sight that Lyon knew that he could never grow tired of seeing, especially when he noticed the jealous looks from those around him. He counted himself the luckiest man alive because while his life was still as hard as ever, it was more bearable because he had Juvia.

   Time passed, and they grew closer and closer, true love slowly blossoming between them. While Lyon was stubborn and occasionally gave in to his temper, he was endlessly kind to Juvia, doing his best to give her everything she wanted and to keep the promises he had made to her that day on the beach, and the vows he had made at their wedding. It took a while longer for Juvia to fall in love with him, but slowly she found herself falling under his spell, and there was nothing but happiness in her smiles when she was with him. It was when she began to sing to him on occasion, that same hauntingly beautiful song he had heard on the beach that he knew he had indeed won her heart and those nights were the nights when he was the happiest man in Fiore, if not the world.

**

    Months became years as time continued to pass. The couple growing closer and closer, their love deepening with each year that passed, and their family grew. Lyon had always dreamed of having a large family, and as they were blessed with seven children it was a wish come true, and he spent each and every day with a smile on his face no matter how hard he had to work. Juvia too loved their large family, adoring each and every one of their children with all her heart, singing to them every day as they grew up and never once mentioning how their family had come to be.

   The only time her smile would falter was when they were on the beach, and she would find herself gazing wistfully out to sea, a faraway look in her eyes no matter how hard she tried to stop herself from doing. She knew that it worried the children, as every time they caught her doing it, they would gather around her in a worried circle and demand to know why she looked so sad, childishly determined to punish whatever had upset her. Each time though she would gather them to herself, kissing them each in turn on the forehead and telling them not to worry. Telling them that it was just a dream that should have been long forgotten, and so they would swiftly forget and run off to play, and she would never mention to Lyon that even now her heart longed for the sea.

   However, it couldn’t last forever because it wasn’t a fairytale. It was a quiet day in the cottage, Lyon had taken their three eldest out to sea with him for the day, determined to start teaching them the tricks for the trade and Juvia had sent the others out to get supplies from the village. Apart from her youngest son who was playing happily in the living room as she worked in the kitchen making bread. Part way through she made the mistake of looking out of the window, watching the waves crashing onshore and remembering how it had felt to be part of those waves. Then her gaze had sharped as she spotted the band of seals playing out on the rocks, and she fancied that she could almost hear them barking as they played. Tears filled her eyes, and she sighed deeply as she tried in vain to blink them away.

   Her distress hadn’t gone unnoticed, and her son ran in from the other room with a worried expression as he demanded to know what was wrong, and why she was always so sad when she looked at the sea, and for once Juvia couldn’t find the strength to comfort him or lie.

“I miss the sea…I miss the waves. I was born out in the sea, and it’s my home,” she whispered, tears trickling down her cheeks, and she did hesitate for a moment before adding softly. “But I can’t go back, because your father has hidden my sealskin.” She honestly did love Lyon, but that did not detract from the pain of that loss, that betrayal….

   Her son like all the children that lived along the coast had heard the stories about the Selkies, although like Lyon had years before he had thought it was just a tale, however, upon hearing his mother’s words it dawned on her what she must be. He worried at his bottom lip for a minute, before the tears on her face made up his mind, and he ran across to the fireplace, reaching up it and pulling the sealskin from its hiding place and holding it out to his mother who had trailed after him.

“How did you find it?” She asked, beginning to tremble at the sight of her skin. How many years had it been since she had seen it? Part of her had even started to fear that Lyon might have destroyed it and she had to fight the urge to just snatch it from her son.

“I saw father taking it down once and staring at it,” he admitted sheepishly, well aware that he wasn’t supposed to spy on his parents, unaware that there would be no punishment forthcoming from his mother that day. “I knew it must be special, but now I know what it is…” He added as he handed it to her, and Juvia embraced it for a moment, burying her nose against it for a moment. It smelt of the sea even after all these years, and she smiled.

It smelt of home.

“Sweetheart,” she whispered as she reached for her son, drawing him into a tight hug, her heart aching at the thought of what she was going to leave behind. _But I want to go back to the sea_ … She thought sniffling slightly as she pressed a loving kiss to the top of his hair. “I will always love you,” she told him, waiting until he nodded before releasing him, clasping her sealskin to her heart, looking at him one last time before darting outside and down to the sea.

   She wavered for a moment at the edge of the water, glancing back at the cottage with tearful eyes, but the call of the sea. The call of home was too much to bear, and she slipped into her skin, letting out a joyful cry before she dived into the rough water, relishing the feel of it washing over her skin.

_I’m free. I’m home…_

**

   Lyon was chatting contentedly with his children as they rowed for shore. Their catch for the day had been better than usual, and it had been nice to spend time with them, to spend time with his family, something that once upon a time he had begun to think he might never have. Before that fateful day on the beach. Before Juvia. Just as his thoughts turned to his beautiful wife, he felt eyes boring into his back, and he turned around to find the herd of seals that had taken up residence in the area years ago swimming a short distance away. At the front was a young seal who was gazing at them, a strange, almost human expression on its face. He frowned, staring at it before turning away and dismissing it, but he didn’t miss the sharp, plaintive cry that escaped the seal just before they passed out of sight and he glanced back just in time to see it disappear beneath the waves.

   It was only later when he arrived home to find his youngest son home alone and heard what had happened that he realised what or rather who the seal had been. It had felt as though his heart was being torn in two, as he realised that even with as happy as they had been and the family they had built together, Juvia hadn’t hesitated to return to the sea. However, he couldn’t be angry with his son for returning the sealskin, because as he looked across his children’s’ faces and saw their tears, he knew that it was something that he should have done long ago. Just as he knew that it was Juvia’s heart that had taught their children to be braver and more generous than he had ever been and on that night he made a new promise to the woman he would love till the end of his days.

_I promise to raise our children to have your heart and courage, and to make sure that they and their children know of your people, your life and our love…_


End file.
